The Fisherman and His Wife

Once upon a time there wasThere was once on a time a Fisherman who lived with his wife in a miserable hut close by the seaa miserable hovel close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing. One day, as he sat with his fishing rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly went down, far down below. When he pulled it up again, he brought out a large Flounder.And once as he was sitting with his rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly went down, far down below, and when he drew it up again he brought out a large Flounder. Then the Flounder said to him, “Listen, Fisherman, please let me live. I am not really a FlounderHark, you Fisherman, I pray you, let me live, I am no Flounder really, but an enchanted prince. What good will it do you to kill me? I would not be good to eat. Put me back in the water and let me go.I should not be good to eat, put me in the water again, and let me go.” “Come,” said the Fisherman, “there is no need for so many words about it—I would certainly let a talking fish go, anyhow.” Witha fish that can talk I should certainly let go, anyhow,” with that he put him back again into the clear water, and the Flounder went to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the Fisherman got up and went home to his wife in the huthis wife in the hovel.

“Husband,” said the woman, “have you caught nothing todayto-day?” “No,” said the man, “I did catch a Flounder who said he was an enchanted prince. So I let him go again.a Flounder, who said he was an enchanted prince, so I let him go again.” “Did you not wish for anything first?” said the woman. “No,” said the man; “what would I wish for?what should I wish for?” “Ah,” said the woman, “it is certainly hard to have to live in this dirty hut all the time. You could have wished for a small cottage for us.it is surely hard to have to live always in this dirty hovel; you might have wished for a small cottage for us. Go back and call him. Tell him we want a small cottage. He will certainly give us that.Tell him we want to have a small cottage, he will certainly give us that.” “Ah,” said the man, “why should I go there again?” “Why,” said the woman, “you did catch him, and you let him go again. He is sure to do it.you did catch him, and you let him go again; he is sure to do it. Go at once.” The man was still reluctant to go, but he did not like to oppose his wife. So he went to the sea.The man still did not quite like to go, but did not like to oppose his wife, and went to the sea.

When he got there the sea was all green and yellow, and no longer so smooth; so he stood still and said,

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

Then the Flounder came swimming to him and said, “Well what does she want, then?” “Ah,” said the man, “I did catch you, and my wife says I really should have wished for something.I did catch you, and my wife says I really ought to have wished for something. She does not want to live in a wretched hut any longer.She does not like to live in a wretched hovel any longer. She would like to have a cottage.” “Go, then,” said the Flounder, “she has it already.”

When the man went home, his wife was no longer in the hut. In its place stood a small cottage, and she was sitting on a bench in front of the door.When the man went home, his wife was no longer in the hovel, but instead of it there stood a small cottage, and she was sitting on a bench before the door. Then she took him by the hand and said to him, “Just come inside, look, now isn’t this a great deal better?” So they went in. There was a small porch, a pretty little parlor and bedroom, and a kitchen and pantry, a room for storing food. The cottage had the best furniture and the most beautiful things made of tin and brass—everything they needed.So they went in, and there was a small porch, and a pretty little parlor and bedroom, and a kitchen and pantry, with the best of furniture, and fitted up with the most beautiful things made of tin and brass, whatsoever was wanted. Behind the cottage was a small yard with hens and ducks, and a little garden with flowers and fruit.And behind the cottage there was a small yard, with hens and ducks, and a little garden with flowers and fruit. “Look,” said the wife, “is not that nice!” “Yes,” said the husband, “and we must always remember that. Now we will live quite contentedly.and so we must always think it,—now we will live quite contented.” “We will think about that,” said the wife. With that they ate something and went to bed.

Everything went well for a week or twoa fortnight, and then the woman said, “ListenHark you, husband, this cottage is far too small for us, and the garden and yard are little; the Flounder could just as well have given us a larger house. I would like to live in a great stone castle. Go to the Flounder and tell him to give us a castle.the Flounder might just as well have given us a larger house. I should like to live in a great stone castle; go to the Flounder, and tell him to give us a castle.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “the cottage is quite good enough. Why should we live in a castle?the cottage is quite good enough; why should we live in a castle?” “What!” said the woman; “just go there, the Flounder can always do that.” “No, wife,” said the man, “the Flounder has just given us the cottage. I do not want to go back so soon. It might make him angry.the Flounder has just given us the cottage, I do not like to go back so soon, it might make him angry.” “Go,” said the woman, “he can do it quite easily and will be glad to do it. Just you go to him.he can do it quite easily, and will be glad to do it; just you go to him.”

The man’s heart grew heavy, and he would not go. He said to himself, “It is not right,” and yet he went. When he reached the sea, the water was purple and dark blue, and grey and thick. It was no longer so green and yellow, but it was still quiet.And when he came to the sea the water was quite purple and dark-blue, and grey and thick, and no longer so green and yellow, but it was still quiet. And he stood there and said—

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, half scared, “she wants to live in a great stone castle.” “Go to it, then, she is standing in front of the doorshe is standing before the door,” said the Flounder.

Then the man set off for home. When he got there, he found a great stone palace. His wife was standing on the steps, about to go in. She took him by the hand and said, “Come in.”Then the man went away, intending to go home, but when he got there, he found a great stone palace, and his wife was just standing on the steps going in, and she took him by the hand and said, “Come in.” He went in with her. Inside the castle was a great hall paved with marble, and many servants flung the doors wide open. The walls shone with beautiful hangings. The rooms held chairs and tables of pure gold, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Every room and bedroom had carpets, and the finest food and wine weighed down the tables so heavily that they nearly collapsedSo he went in with her, and in the castle was a great hall paved with marble, and many servants, who flung wide the doors; And the walls were all bright with beautiful hangings, and in the rooms were chairs and tables of pure gold, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and all the rooms and bed-rooms had carpets, and food and wine of the very best were standing on all the tables, so that they nearly broke down beneath it. Behind the house was a great courtyard, with stables for horses and cows, and the very best carriages. There was also a magnificent large garden with the most beautiful flowers and fruit trees, and a park a full half-mile long, with stags, deer and hares—everything they could wish for.Behind the house, too, there was a great court-yard, with stables for horses and cows, and the very best of carriages; there was a magnificent large garden, too, with the most beautiful flowers and fruit-trees, and a park quite half a mile long, in which were stags, deer, and hares, and everything that could be desired. “Come,” said the woman, “isn’t that beautiful?” “Yes, indeed,” said the man, “now leave things as they are. We will live in this beautiful castle and be content.now let it be; and we will live in this beautiful castle and be content.” “We will think about that,” said the woman, “and sleep on it.” Then they went to bed.“We will consider about that,” said the woman, “and sleep upon it;” thereupon they went to bed.

The next morning, the wife woke first. It was just daybreak, and from her bed she saw the beautiful countryside stretching out before her.Next morning the wife awoke first, and it was just daybreak, and from her bed she saw the beautiful country lying before her. Her husband was still stretching himself, so she poked him in the side with her elbow, and said, “Get up, husband, and just look out of the windowjust peep out of the window. Look, couldn't we be you, couldn’t we be the King over all that land? Go to the Flounder. We will be the King.Go to the Flounder, we will be the King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why should we be King? I do not want to be King.” “Well,” said the wife, “if you won’t be King, I will; go to the Flounder, for I will be King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why do you want to be King? I do not want to say that to him.I do not like to say that to him.” “Why not?” said the woman; “go to him this instant. I must be King!go to him this instant; I must be King!” So the man went, and was quite unhappy because his wife wished to be King. “It is not right; it is not right,” thought he. He did not wish to go, but yet he went.

And when he came to the sea, it was quite dark-grey, and the water heaved up from below, and smelt rottenputrid. Then he went and stood by it, and said,

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be King.” “Go to her; she is King already.”

So the man went. When he reached the palace, the castle had grown much larger. It had a great tower and magnificent ornaments. A guard stood in front of the door, with many soldiers with kettle-drums and trumpets.So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had become much larger, and had a great tower and magnificent ornaments, and the sentinel was standing before the door, and there were numbers of soldiers with kettle-drums and trumpets. When he went inside, everything was made of real marble and gold, with velvet covers and great golden tassels.And when he went inside the house, everything was of real marble and gold, with velvet covers and great golden tassels. Then the hall doors opened, revealing the court in all its splendour. His wife sat the doors of the hall were opened, and there was the court in all its splendour, and his wife was sitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds, wearing a great golden crown and holding a sceptre of pure gold and jewels. On each side stood a row of her ladies-in-waiting, each one awith a great crown of gold on her head, and a sceptre of pure gold and jewels in her hand, and on both sides of her stood her maids-in-waiting in a row, each of them always one head shorter than the last.

Then he went and stood before her, and said, “Ah, wife, and now you are King.” “Yes,” said the woman, “now I am King.” He stood and looked at her. After some time, he said,So he stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, “And now that you are King, leave things as they are. Now we will wish for nothing more.let all else be, now we will wish for nothing more.” “NoNay, husband,” said the woman, quite anxiously, “Time drags so slowly that I cannot bear it anyI find time pass very heavily, I can bear it no longer; go to the Flounder—I am King, but I must be Emperor, too.” “Alas, wife, why do you wish to be Emperor?” “Husband,” said she, “go to the Flounder. I will be Emperor.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, “he cannot make you Emperor; I must not ask the fish for that.I may not say that to the fish. There is only one Emperor in the land. The Flounder cannot make you an EmperorAn Emperor the Flounder cannot make you! I assure you he cannot.”

“What!” said the woman, “I am the King, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go this moment? Go at once!will you go this moment? go at once! If he can make a King he can make an emperor. I will be Emperor; go this instantgo instantly.” So he was forced to go. As the man went, however, he was troubled and thought to himself,As the man went, however, he was troubled in mind, and thought to himself, “It will not end well; it will not end well! Asking to be EmperorEmperor is too shameless! The Flounder will finally lose patienceat last be tired out.”

He reached the sea, which was quite black and thick. It began to boil up from below, throwing up bubbles. A sharp wind blew over it so that the water curdled, and the man was afraid.With that he reached the sea, and the sea was quite black and thick, and began to boil up from below, so that it threw up bubbles, and such a sharp wind blew over it that it curdled, and the man was afraid.Explanation: Curdled gives the water an unnaturally thick, lumpy appearance, like curdled milk. The modernized wording keeps this image. Then he went and stood by it, and said,

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas, Flounder,” said he, “my wife wants to be Emperor.” “Go to her,” said the Flounder; “she is Emperor already.”

So the man went. When he got there, the whole palace was made of polished marble, with alabaster figures and golden ornaments. Soldiers marched in front of the door, blowing trumpets and beating cymbals and drums. Inside, barons, counts and dukes went about as servants.So the man went, and when he got there the whole palace was made of polished marble with alabaster figures and golden ornaments, and soldiers were marching before the door blowing trumpets, and beating cymbals and drums; and in the house, barons, and counts, and dukes were going about as servants. Then they opened the doors for him. The doors were made of pure gold.Then they opened the doors to him, which were of pure gold. When he entered, his wife sat on a throne made from a single piece of gold, a full two miles high.And when he entered, there sat his wife on a throne, which was made of one piece of gold, and was quite two miles high; She wore a great golden crown three yards high, set with diamonds and red gemstones.and she wore a great golden crown that was three yards high, and set with diamonds and carbuncles, In one hand she heldand in one hand she had the sceptre, and in the other the imperial orb, a ball that symbolised her power.the imperial orb; Guards stood in two rows beside her, each shorter than the one before,and on both sides of her stood the yeomen of the guard in two rows, each being smaller than the one before him, from the biggest giant, two miles tall, to the tiniest dwarf,from the biggest giant, who was two miles high, to the very smallest dwarf, just as big as my little finger. In front of the throne stood a number of princes and dukes.And before it stood a number of princes and dukes.

Then the man went and stood among them, and said, “Wife, are you Emperor now?” “Yes,” said she, “now I am Emperor.” He stood and looked closely at her. After some time, he said,Then he stood and looked at her well, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said, “Ah, wife, be content, now that you are Emperor.” “Husband,” said she, “why are you standing there? Now, I am Emperor, but I will be Pope too; go to the Flounder.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, “is there nothing you will not wish for?what will you not wish for? You cannot be Pope. There is only one in the Christian worldbut one in Christendom. He cannot make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “I will be Pope; go immediately, I must be Pope this very day.” “No, wife,” said the man, “I do not want to ask him for that. It would not do. It is too much. The Flounder can’t make you Pope.I do not like to say that to him; that would not do, it is too much; the Flounder can’t make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “what nonsense! If he can make an emperor he can make a pope. Go to him at once.Go to him directly. I am Emperor, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go at once?”

Then he went in fear. But he felt faint, shivered and shook, and his knees and legs trembled.Then he was afraid and went; but he was quite faint, and shivered and shook, and his knees and legs trembled. A high wind blew over the land, and the clouds flew. Towards evening, everything grew dark. Leaves fell from the trees. The water rose and roared as if it were boiling, splashing onto the shore.And a high wind blew over the land, and the clouds flew, and towards evening all grew dark, and the leaves fell from the trees, and the water rose and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed upon the shore. And in the distance he saw ships firing guns to signal their distress which were firing guns in their sore need, pitching and tossing on the waves. Yet in the middle of the sky there was still a small patch of blue, though all around it the sky was as red as in a heavy storm.And yet in the midst of the sky there was still a small bit of blue, though on every side it was as red as in a heavy storm. So, full of despair, he went and stood by the sea, very afraid, and said,So, full of despair, he went and stood in much fear and said,

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be Pope.” “Go to her then,” said the Flounder; “she is Pope already.”

So he went, and when he got there, he saw what seemed to be a large church surrounded by palaces. He pushed his way through the crowd. Inside, thousands and thousands of candles lit everything up. His wife was dressed in gold and sat on an even higher throne, wearing three great golden crowns, surrounded by the splendour of the church. On each side stood a row of candles, from one as tall as the tallest tower down to the smallest kitchen candle. All the emperors and kings knelt however, everything was lighted up with thousands and thousands of candles, and his wife was clad in gold, and she was sitting on a much higher throne, and had three great golden crowns on, and round about her there was much ecclesiastical splendour; and on both sides of her was a row of candles the largest of which was as tall as the very tallest tower, down to the very smallest kitchen candle, and all the emperors and kings were on their knees before her, kissing her shoe. “Wife,” said the man, looking closely at her, “are you now Pope?”“Wife,” said the man, and looked attentively at her, “are you now Pope?” “Yes,” said she, “I am Pope.” He stood and looked at her. It was just as if he were looking at the bright sun.So he stood and looked at her, and it was just as if he was looking at the bright sun. After standing and looking at her for a short time, he said,When he had stood looking at her thus for a short time, he said, “Ah, wife, if you are Pope, do leave well enough let well alone!” But she looked as stiff as a post, and did not move or show any signs of life. Then he saidsaid he, “Wife, now that you are Pope, be satisfied, you cannot become anything greater now.” “I will thinkconsider about that,” said the woman. Then they both went to bed. But she was not satisfied. Her greed kept her awake, for she was always thinking about what there was left for her to be.Thereupon they both went to bed, but she was not satisfied, and greediness let her have no sleep, for she was continually thinking what there was left for her to be.

The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal during the day. But the woman could not fall asleep at all. She tossed from side to side all night, always thinking about what more was left for her to be, but unable to think of anything else.The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal during the day; but the woman could not fall asleep at all, and flung herself from one side to the other the whole night through, thinking always what more was left for her to be, but unable to call to mind anything else. At length the sun began to rise, and when the woman saw the red of dawn, she sat up in bed and looked at it. When she saw the sun rising through the window, she said,And when, through the window, she saw the sun thus rising, she said, “Cannot I, too, order the sun and moon to rise?” “Husband,” she said, poking him in the ribs with her elbows, “wake up! Go to the Flounderwake up! go to the Flounder, for I wish to be just like Godeven as God is.” The man was still half asleep, but he was so horrified that he fell out of bed. He thought he must have misheard. He rubbed his eyes and said,He thought he must have heard amiss, and rubbed his eyes, and said, “Alas, wife, what are you saying?” “Husband,” said she, “if I can’t order the sun and moon to rise, but have to stand by and watch them rising, I can’t bear it.if I can’t order the sun and moon to rise, and have to look on and see the sun and moon rising, I can’t bear it. I shall nevernot know what it is to have another happy hour, unless I can make them rise myself.” She gave him such a terrible look that he shuddered. Then she said,Then she looked at him so terribly that a shudder ran over him, and said, “Go at once; I wish to be like  unto God.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, falling on his knees before her, “the Flounder cannot do that. He can make an emperor and a pope. I beg you, stay as you are and be Pope.the Flounder cannot do that; he can make an emperor and a pope; I beseech you, go on as you are, and be Pope.” Then she fell into a rage, and her hair flew wildly about her head, and she cried, “I will not endure this, I’ll not bear it any longer; will youwilt thou go?” Then he put on his trousers and ran away like a madman. But outside a great storm was raging, and blowing so hard that he could scarcely keep his feet. Houses; houses and trees toppled over, the mountains trembled, rocks rolled into the sea, the sky was pitch black, and thunder boomed and lightning flashedit thundered and lightened. The, and the sea came in with black waves as high as church-towers and mountains,  and all with crests of white foam at the top. Then he cried, but could not hear his own words,

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,
Please swim overCome, I pray thee, here to me;
For my wife, good Ilsabil,
Wants her way against my Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, then?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said he, “she wants to be like  unto God.” “Go to her, and you will find her back again in the dirty hutthe dirty hovel.” And there they still live to this dayare living still at this very time.